Cross-Sectional Survey of Cardiovascular Risk Factors among Adolescents in Christchurch

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Thesis Discipline

Health Sciences

Degree Grantor

University of Canterbury

Degree Level

Masters

Degree Name

Master of Health Sciences

In New Zealand, cardiovascular disease is higher among Maori and Pacific
peoples than other ethnic group.
Researchers in Cardiology documented that CVD begins early in a person’s life
and that a person's risk of cardiovascular disease is determined by risk factors that
contribute to a form of CVD over time.
This thesis, “The Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Adolescents of Christchurch: A
Cross-Sectional Survey (CRFAC)”, is the first of its kind in the South Island, and was
designed to estimate the prevalence of risk factors for cardiovascular disease for
adolescent high school students in New Zealand. The aims of the study were to
determine cardiovascular risk factor levels between, Pacific, Asian, Maori, and European
students, with the Pacific communities including (Samoan, Cook Islands, Tongan, and
Niuean). The CRFAC was a school-based cross-sectional survey of 1051 adolescent
students, across nine Christchurch High Schools.
The study specifically aimed to determine ethnic-specific differences in lifestyle
and intermediate variables that have been established as cardiovascular risks. Variables
included: smoking, alcohol consumption, leisure-time physical activity (LTPA),
television exposure, and sun exposure, and body mass index (BMI). Demographic
variables analyzed included: form (level of education), gender, ethnic group, and socioeconomic
status.
In regards to smoking and alcohol consumption, Maori had the highest rates
overall 77% and 88%, respectfully. As for LTPA, the type of activity that was
participated in varied between sex and ethnicity. For instance, netball was played
predominately more for females than males, and rugby was played more so by
European/Pakehas than compared to Asians. Maori and Pacific also had a higher
proportion 43.4% and 33.7%, respectively, who watched TV four or more hours per week
day on average compared to the other ethnicities. Sun exposure varied strongly with
ethnicity, with Asian students having a smaller proportion 20.1% in the high daily sun
exposure category compared with Maori 40.8 % daily (p< 0.001).
The CRFAC study results showed that demographic variables were associated
with the intermediate variables: lifestyle and BMI. The findings showed that there were
substantive ethnic variations between the four main ethnic groups (Pacific, Maori, Asian
and European) in risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
The CRFAC study was able to identify contributing factors, for which gave the
investigator clarity to possible reasons for ethnic differences in BMI. The CRFAC study
results showed that Pacific participants had the highest BMI levels of all the ethnic
groups, followed by Maori.